Integrating structures and Design in the first-year studio

Abstract

Introducing structures learning to the first-year architectural design studio situates structures as fundamental to both the design process and architectural expression. At the Illinois Institute of Technology, we use dynamic modeling techniques and large-scale installations to help students develop a visual and tacit structural intelligence, and to encourage students to take a greater interest in structural systems as a design concern. Similar to a design-build teaching model, our approach relies upon active experimentation with structural models and installations, and reveals the latent design potential in structural systems.